Window sash



March 22, 1966 A. w. AHLGREN l 3,241,283

WINDOW SASH Filed Jan. 9, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @fro amava/'- March 22, 1966 A. w. AHLGREN WINDOW SASH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1964 b o T w e v M /W y 4 aw cATronNEyv/ United States Patent O 3,241,283 WINDOW SASH Axel W. Ahlgren, Rockford, Ill., assgnor to Amerock Corporation, Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 336,720 16 Claims. (Cl. 52--494) This invention relates to sliding closure assemblies and, more particularly, to sliding window sashes of the type in which elongated sash rails forming a frame to the Window pane are fitted together at their corners to form miter joints and are held together by L-shaped corner keys having legs pressed into longitudinal passages in the sash rails. In some of these sashes, roller assemblies are mounted on the lower sash rail to facilitate the movement of the sash back and forth along the window sill by an operator including a manually rotatable pinion journaled on the sill and meshing with the teeth of a rack bar mounted on the underside of the lower rail.

The general object of the present invention is to eliminate all conventional fasteners in a sash of the foregoing character thereby greatly simplifying the construction of the sash.

Another object is to mount the roller assemblies on the sash rails in a novel manner that not only eliminates all conventional fasteners for the roller assembly but also reinforces the miter joint between the rails.

A further object is to form and mount the rack bar in a novel manner such that it is readily adaptable to different lengths of sashes.

Still another object is to utilize the mounting means provided for the rack bar as an important part of the support for the roller assemblies.

The invention also resides in the novel configurations of the sash rails and brackets cooperating with the rails to support the rollers.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary perspective View of a frame and a sliding window assembly embodying the novel features of the present invention with parts broken away and shown in section for clarity of illustration.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken in a vertical plane through the window assembly in FIG. l at the lower left-hand corner of the window.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged prespective view of one of the roller assemblies.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 taken from the opposite side of the assembly.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one end portion of the lower sash rail.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the corner keys.

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the invention is embodied in a sliding window assembly 10 including a rectangular glass window panel in this instance comprising two spaced panes 11 mounted in a rectangular sash or frame for sliding back and forth along a sill 12 between the two upright members or jambs (not shown) of a window frame. The sash is formed by a lower horizontal rail 13 formed with a groove 14 on its upper side shaped to fit over the lower edge portion of the window, two vertical side rails 15 formed with similar grooves 17 in their adjacent sides to receive the vertical 3,241,283 Patented Mar. 22, 1966 ICC clearly in FIG. 9, each key, which preferably is composed of sheet metal, is channel-shaped in cross-section and has -two legs 21 disposed at a right angle with each other, each leg being slightly thicker than the cross-sectionalthickness of the associated passage to be received therein with an interference lit. The rails 13 and 15, preferably are composed of plastic and the free edges 22 of the metal of each leg are serrated to form flat-tipped teeth for biting into the rails and becoming securely anchored in the latter.

As the window 10 is opened and closed, the lower sash rail 13 moves back and forth along the top of the sill 12 along a track 23 formed by the top of a plate 24 having upstanding side flanges 25 and 27 between which the rail is guided. To facilitate opening and closing of the Window, two roller assemblies 28 each including a roller 29 are mounted on the lower rail adjacent its opposite ends to ride` on the track and carry the window assembly along the track.

In this instance, a manual operator 30 (FIG. l) also is provided for cranking the window 10 back and forth between its open and closed positions. This operator comprises a hand crank 31 fast on one end of a horizontally disposed shaft 32 journaled in bearings in a mounting plate 33 fastened to the trim strip 34 on the inner side of the sill 12 near the middle thereof with the operator shaft extending under the plate 24 and the sash rail 13. A pinion 35 is mounted on the shaft beneath the sash rail and projects upwardly through the track plate to mesh with the teeth 37 of a rack bar 38 mounted on the underside of the rail and extending longitudinally of the latter. Thus, as the operator shaft and the pinion are turned by the crank, the pinion pushes the rack, and the rest of the window assembly, toward one side or the other of the window frame.

In accordance with the present invention, the sash rails 13 and 1S, the rack 38, and the roller assemblies 28 are constructed and assembled in a novel and simple manner to eliminate all conventional fasteners in the sliding window and to facilitate the assembly and installation of the window. To these ends, the rails are formed with additional longitudinal passages 39 and 40 opening toward each other at the miter joint 18, and the rollers 29 are journaled on L-shaped brackets each having two legs received and held in these passages with a snug fit with opposed surfaces on the bracket and each rail abutting against each other to stabilize the roller on the sash in service use. Moreover, the rack bar 38 is telescoped endwise into the passage 40 with a slip ft and supported therein between the roller assemblies with its teeth 37 extending downwardly to mesh with the drive pinion 35. Thus, the passage 40 mounts the rack bar on'the sash rail 13 and also cooperates with the passage 39 in supporting the roller assemblies, and the` latter confine the rack bar against endwise movement relative to the rail 13.

In this instance, the sash rails 13 and 15 are `hollow extruded plastic with the longitudinal passages 20, 20a, 39 and 40 extending throughout the length of the rails. As shown most clearly in FIG. 4, the side rail 15 comprises two spaoed and generally parallel walls 41 straddling the vertical edge of the window and joined together on the side of the rail opposite the groove 17 by a transverse `outer end wall 42. A dividing wall 413 paralleling the outer end wall forms the bottom of the groove and the side wall of the passage 20a. Midway between walls 42 `and 43 are two longitudinal ribs 44 disposed in a common plane `and projecting toward the other from the associated wall 41 partially across the space within the rail there-by to form, in effect, a partition dividing the space into the two passages 20a and 39.

The lower rail 13 also has two spaced parallel walls 45 (FIGS. 1, 4 and 8) straddling the lower edge of the window and joined together by two vertically spaced horizontal dividing walls 47 and 48, t-he first defining the 4bottom of the groove 14 and the top of the passage 20 and the other defining the bottom of the passage 20 and the top of the passage 40 with the lower portion of each wall 45 defining the sidewall of the passage 40. Spaced below Ithe lower dividing wall in a common horizontal plane are two longitudinal ribs 49 projecting from the depending walls 45 toward each other and dividing the passage 40 into an upper passage 50 and a lower groove 51 in the underside of the rail opening away from the window groove 14, The adjacent edges 52 of the ribs 49 are spaced apart to define a slot opening from the passage 50 into the groove 51. As shown in FIG. 2, the walls 43 and 47 and the wall 48 and the ribs 44 meet at the miter joint 1S when the rails 13 and 15 are tted together so that the passage 20a and 39 open respectively into the 'adjacent ends of the passages 20 and 40. In other words, the open ends of the respective passages are level with each other.

Herein, each roller mounting bracket 28 is a sheet metal sta-mping with an upwardly extending portion of channelshaped cross-section forming one leg and with two integral lugs 53 projecting laterally from the lower end of the upright leg in parallel vertical planes to form the lower leg. The roller 29 is disposed between the lugs and journaled on an axle formed by a rivet 54 telescoped through the center bore of the roller and through alined holes in the lugs with heads (see FIG. on its opposite ends holding it in place.

The spacing of the outer sides of the lugs 53 is approximately the same as the width of the slot 52 so that the horizontal leg fits snugly into the lower rail 13 between the ribs 49 with the peripheral edge of the roller 29 slightly below the lower edges 55 of the walls 45. Upwardly projecting flanges or tabs 57 integral with the 4lugs 53 but offset outwardly from the tops thereof straddle at least one and preferably two horizontally spaced longitudinal ribs 58 projecting downwardly into the passage 50 from the wall 48. The tops of these tabs abut against the wall 48. Thus, the lower bracket leg is braced at vertically spaced points against tilting from side to side relative to the rail 13 and is securely locked against downward movement relative to the rail.

When the lower leg is properly positioned in the lower sash rail 13, the lower portion of the upper bracket leg abuts against the ends of the ribs 58 or the wall 48 to position the upper leg for entry into the passage 39 in the side rail 15. The cross-sectional width of the upper leg is correlated with the spacing of the walls 41 and 42 and the ribs 44 so that the upper leg is received with a snug fit in the passage with the crosspiece 59 of the channel abutting against the outer wall 42. To increase the area of engagement between the bracket and the ribs 44, a vertical fiange or tab 60 is bent outwardly from each free edge of the side pieces 61 of the channel with the at sides of the tabs disposed on a common plane paralleling the crosspiece and spaced therefrom to abut against the ribs 44. With this arrangement, the upper leg is confined and braced between the outer wall and the ribs. The free edges 62 of the tabs are spaced to t tightly between the walls 41 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

To assemble the sash on the window, a lower rail 13 of selected length is tted over the lower edge of the glass and a key 19 and a roller assembly 28 are inserted in each of its ends. Then two side rails of proper length are fitted over the side edges of the widow and moved endwise downwardly over the free legs of the keys and the roller assemblies to secure the rails together. The top and side rails may be secured together prior to assembly on the window and then moved as a unit into place thereon.

Prior to insertion of the roller assemblies 28 in the lower sash rail 13, a rack bar 38 of selected length slightly shorter than the length of the composite passage 40 is telescoped endwise into the passage to cooperate with the pinion 35 in opening and closing the window. As shown in FIG. 3, the rack bar is shaped to slide freely into the rail and be held securely in place in service use by opposed longitudinally extending abutment surfaces on the rail. In this instance, the two sets of longitudinal ribs 49 and 58 serve the additional purpose of holding the rack bar against downward or lateral movement out of the composite passage 40.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 3, the top of the bar 38 is somewhat narrower than the width of the passage 50 and is formed with a longitudinal groove with side- Walls 63 spaced to straddle the ribs 58 on the upper wall 48. This groove accommodates the ribs 58 and also cooperates with the latter in stabilizing the rack bar. Longitudinal shoulders 64 on the sides of the rack bar rest on the tops of the ribs 58, and the narrower lower portion of the ,bar projects downwardly through the slo-t 52 between the ribs, the adjacent walls of which bear against the opposite sides of the lower portion of the bar. The rack teeth 37 are formed in the underside of the bar between a series of equally spaced notches in the bar.

When the sash is assembled and installed, the adjacent ends 65 (see FIG. 2) of the roller brackets 28 form abutment surfaces engaging the ends o-f the rack bar 38 to prevent endwise sliding of the l-atter relative to the window during opening and closing of the latter. While the rack bar may be formed in one piece and cut to the desired length for each installation, it preferably is formed in shorter sections and different combinations of standard lengths are used to make up bars fitting the different standard sizes of windows of this type thereby eliminating cutting and fitting operations during installation of the window.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the roller assemblies 28 and the rack bar 38 are mounted and securely supported on the sash and the sash rails 13, 15 are secured together in accordance with the invention without any conventional fasteners whatsoever with the result that the construction and installation of the sash are much simplier than is the case with conventional sashes. Moreover, the roller assemblies not only support the window 10 for rolling along the sill 12 but also re-enforce the miter joints 18 between the lower rail 13 and the two upright rails 15, and the no-vel sash rail configuration makes it possible to utilize the same simple supporting elements, the ribs 49 and 58, for the roller assemblies as well as the rack bar.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a window sash, the combination of, an elongated lower sash rail having beveled ends, a first longitudinal groove on one side shaped to receive the lower edge of a window, a second longitudinal groove in its opposite side having a top wall and laterally spaced depending side Walls, and a first longitudinal passage between said grooves, said second groove and said passa-ge opening through both ends of said rail; two elongated side rails having beveled ends fitted against the ends of said lower rail with miter joints and each having a longitudinal groove on one side shaped to receive a side edge of the window, and second and third longitudinal passages opening through its end at the respective miter joint level with said first passa-ge and said second groove, respectively; an L-shaped corner key at each end of said lower rail having one leg snugly received in said first passage and another leg snugly received in said second passage in the adjacent side rail; a roller assembly at each end of 4said lower rail including an L-shaped mounting bracket lwith one lbracket leg fitted snugly in said third passage of the adjacent side rail and the other bracket leg extending into and along said second groove, and a roller journaled on said other -bracket leg for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the window with the peripheral edge of the roller adjacent the lower edge of said lower rail; a pair of longitudinally extending ribs on said side Walls projecting toward each other in a common plane spaced `below said top wall with the adjacent surfaces of said ribs spaced apart on opposite sides of said other bracket legs; opposed surfaces on -said brackets abutting against said ribs to stabilize the brackets relative to said lower rail; and an elongated rack bar telescoped endwise into said groove and having an upper portion wider than the spacing of the ribs and disposed above the latter, a lower portion projecting downwardly between said ribs, and teeth on the underside of said rack bar extending downwardly toward the underside of said lower rail, the length of said rack bar being the same as the spacing between said roller assemblies whereby the latter abut against and confine the rack bar in said second groove. u

2. In a window sash, the combination of an elongated lower sash rail having beveled ends, a first longitudinal groove on one side shaped to receive the lower edge of a window, a second longitudinal groove in its opposite side having a top wall and laterally spaced depending side walls, and a first longitudinal passage between said grooves, said second groove and said passage opening through lboth ends of said rail; two elongated side rails having beveled ends fitted against the ends of said lower rail with miter joints vand each having a longitudinal groove on one side shaped to receive a side edge of the window, and second and third longitudinal passages j opening through its end at the respective miter joint level with said first passage and said second groove, respectively; an L-shaped corner key at each end of said lower rail having one leg snugly received in said first passage and another leg snugly received in said second passage in the adjacent side rail; a roller assembly at each end of said lower rail including an L-shaped mounting bracket with one bracket leg fitted snugly in said third passage of the adjacent side rail and the other bracket leg extending into and along said second groove, and a roller journaled on said other bracket leg for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the window with the peripheral edge of the roller adjacent the lower edge of said lower rail; and opposed abutment surfaces on said other bracket legs and said lower sash rail preventing downward movement of the 4brackets relative to the rails.

3. In a window sash, the combination of, a first elongated sash rail having a lon-gitudinal groove on its upper side shaped to receive the lower edge of a window, and a first longitudinal passage spaced Ibelow said upper side and opening through one end of the rail; a second elongated sash rail having a longitudinal groove on one side shaped to receive a side edge of the window, and a second longitudinal passage opening through one end of said second rail, said rail ends being shaped to form a miter joint and fitted together at an angle with the ends of said passages opening toward each other; a roller assembly having an L-shaped mounting bracket comprising first and second legs telescoped respectively into said rst and second passages at said miter joint, said first leg including two laterally spaced lugs extending longitudinally of said first passage, and two ta-bs projecting upwardly from said lugs within said first passage, and a roller journaled on said bracket between said lugs with its peripheral edge adjacent the lower edge of said first rail; laterally spaced first abutment surfaces on said rail engaging the adjacent sides of said tabs; and laterally spaced second abutment surfaces on said rail spaced below said tabs and engaging the opposite sides of said lugs whereby said abutment surfaces prevent downward movement and lateral tilting of said bracket relative to said rails.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 in which said first passage is a groove opening through the underside of said first rail, and including a top wall with two laterally spaced upright side walls depending from said top wall.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 in which said first abutment surfaces are formed by the sides of a first rib on said top wall extending longitudinally of said groove between said tabs.

6. The combination defined in claim 4 in which said second abutments are formed by the sides of second and third ribs on said side Walls spaced below said top wall and projecting inwardly toward each other.

7. The combination defined in claim 6 in which said tabs are offset outwardly from each other and from said lugs above said second and third ribs and rest on the latter.

8. The combination defined in claim 7 in which said tabs abut against said top wall.

9. The combination defined in claim 6 further including an elongated rack bar shaped to telescope endwise into said first passage and having an upper portion wider than the spacing of said second and third ribs and disposed above the same, a lower portion projecting downwardly through the space between the ribs, and teeth on the underside of the rack bar.

10. A roller assembly adapted to be mounted on two sash rails fitted together at a miter joint and having two longitudinal passages level with each other at said joint, said assembly comprising a generally L-shaped mounting bracket having a first leg of channel-shaped crosssection adapted to be disposed in an upright position with an upright crosspiece for engaging one wall of one of said passages and two spaced side pieces extending laterally from the upper end portion of said crosspiece toward the opposite wall of said one passage, tabs on the free edges of said side pieces disposed in a common plane paralleling said crosspiece and spaced from the latter to fit snugly against said other wall, two spaced lugs projecting laterally from the lower end portion of said first leg and forming a second leg fitting into the other passage, upwardly projecting tabs on said lugs offset outwardly on opposite sides thereof for engagement with vertical abutment surfaces in said other passage and a roller disposed between and journaled on said lugs.

11. In a window sash, the combination of, a first elongated sash rail having a first longitudinal groove on one side shaped to receive one edge of a window, a second longitudinal groove on the opposite side, and an intermediate longitudinally extending passage opening through one end of said rail; a rack bar telescoped endwise into said second groove and having teeth on one side extending toward the open side of said second groove; an L-shaped corner key having a hrst leg telescoped into said passage with a snug fit and a second leg disposed at a predetermined angle with said first leg and said first rail at said one end; a second elongated sash rail having a longitudinal groove on one side shaped to receive another edge of the window, and a second longitudinally extending passage opening through one end of said second rail and sized to receive said second key leg with a snug fit, said rail ends being shaped to form a miter joint and fitted together with said :rails at said angle with each other and with said second key leg telescoped into said second passage to` hold the rails together; a third longitudinal passage formed in said second rail and opening through said end thereof level with the'adjacent end of said groove; and a roller assembly including a mounting bracket comprising two legs telescoped snugly into the adjacent end portions of said third passage and said second groove, respectively, and a roller disposed in said second groove and journaled on said 2.7 bracket with the periphery of the roller adjacent said open side of said second groove, said second groove and the bracket leg therein being formed with opposed abutment surfaces locking the bracket against movement toward the open side of the groove, and with additional abutment surfaces securely holding said rack bar in the groove.

12. In a window sash, the combination of, first and second elongated sash rails fitted together at a miter joint and each defining one side of a window opening and having a first longitudinal groove along one of its edges for receiving one edge of a window, said rails having longitudinally extending first passages therein opening toward each other at said joint, a corner key at said joint fitted snugly into both of said passages to hold said rails together, said first rail having a second longitudinal groove in its other edge opening away from said window opening and having a closed side and laterally spaced side Walls, and said second rail having a second longitudinal passage opening into said second groove at said joint, a roller bracket at said joint having one leg extending longitudinally of said second rail and telescoped snugly into said second passage and a second leg extending longitudinally of said first rail and telescoped into said second groove, first abutments on said second leg facing toward said other edge, and second abutments on said side walls engaging said first abutments to hold the bracket against movement toward said other edge and the open side of said `groove whereby said bracket is locked in place on said sash as an incident to the assembly of said rails.

13. The combination defined in claim 12 in which said second abutments are formed by ribs extending longitudinally of said first rail along said side Walls and spaced from said closed side, and further including an elongated rack bar telescoped endwise into said groove and having longitudinal shoulders facing toward said open side and engaging said ribs whereby the latter hold both the rack bar and said roller bracket against movement toward said open side.

14. The combination defined in claim 13 further including laterally facing third abutments on said closed side, and opposed fourth abutments on said second bracket leg engaging said third abutments to brace said bracket against lateral tilting.

15. The combination defined in claim 14 in which said second bracket leg is formed with laterally spaced tabs projecting toward said closed side and laterally offset from said second leg to form both said first abutments and said fourth abutments.

16. In a window sash, the combination of, an elongated sash rail having a first longitudinal groove on one side shaped to receive one edge of a window and a second longitudinal groove on the opposite side defined by a top wall and laterally spaced depending side walls, an elongated rack bar disposed in said second groove between said side walls and adjacent said top wall, teeth on one side of said bar extending toward the open side of said second groove, said rack bar having longitudinal shoulders extending along said side walls and facing toward said open side, and a pair of ribs on said side walls projecting laterally into said groove below said top wall and said shoulders and engaging the latter to receive said bar endwise into said second groove and hold said bar against movement sideways out of the second groove.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,559,764 7/1951 GOldberg 189-76 2,804,952 9/1957 Nothdurft L- 189-76 2,877,8411 3/ 1959 Grabove 268-132 3,111,209 1l/l963 Riegelrnan 189-64 REINALDO l. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner. 

11. IN A WINDOW SASH, THE COMBINATION OF, A FIRST ELONGATED SASH RAIL HAVING A FIRST LONGITUDINAL GROOVE ON ONE SIDE SHAPED TO RECEIVE ONE EDGE OF A WINDOW, A SECOND LONGITUDINAL GROOVE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE, AND AN INTERMEDIATE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PASSAGE OPENING THROUGH ONE END OF SAID RAIL; A RACK BAR TELESCOPED ENDWISE INTO SAID SECOND GROOVE AND HAVING TEETH ON ONE SIDE EXTENDING TOWARD THE OPEN SIDE OF SAID SECOND GROOVE; AN L-SHAPED CORNER KEY HAVING A FIRST LEG TELESCOPED INTO SAID PASSAGE WITH A SNUG FIT AND A SECOND LEG DISPOSED AT A PREDETERMINED ANGLE WITH SAID FIRST SLEG AND SAID FIRST RAIL AT SAID ONE END; A SECOND ELONGATED SASH RAIL HAVING A LONGITUDINAL GROOVE ON ONE SIDE SHAPED TO RECEIVE ANOTHER EDGE OF THE WINDOW, AND A SECOND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PASSAGE OPENING THROUGH ONE END OF SAID SECOND RAIL AND SIZED TO RECEIVE SAID SECOND KEY LEG WITH A SNUG FIT, SAID RAIL ENDS BEING SHAPED TO FORM A MITER JOINT AND FITTED TOGETHER WITH SAID RAILS AT SAID ANGLE WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH SAID SECOND KEY LEG TELESCOPED INTO SAID SECOND PASSAGE TO HOLD THE RAILS TOGETHER; A THIRD LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE FORMED IN SAID SECOND RAIL AND OPENING THROUGH SAID END THEREOF LEVEL WITH THE ADJACENT END OF SAID GROOVE; AND A ROLLER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A MOUNTING BRACKET COMPRISING TWO LEGS TELESCOPED SNUGLY INTO THE ADJACENT END PORTIONS OF SAID THIRD PASSAGE AND SAID SECOND GROOVE, RESPECTIVELY, AND A ROLLER DISPOSED IN SAID SECOND GROOVE AND JOURNALED ON SAID BRACKET WITH THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROLLER ADJACENT SAID OPEN SIDE OF SAID SECOND GROOVE, SAID SECOND GROOVE AND THE BRACKET LEG THEREIN BEING FORMED WITH OPPOSED ABUTMENT SURFACES LOCKING THE BRACKET AGAINST MOVEMENT TOWARD THE OPEN SIDE OF THE GROOVE, AND WITH ADDITIONAL ABUTMENT SURFACES SECURELY HOLDING SAID RACK BAR IN THE GROOVE. 